Coming Home
by BetterDeadThanAlone
Summary: The citizens of Konoha would never forget the sight of Neji Hyuga carrying a broken and bloodied Tenten through the streets of the village.


I don't own Naruto.

It's quite different from what I've written earlier, but of course we have romantic sap in here, as always.

**Coming Home**

All she could feel was pain. Every part of her body hurt, it wasn't the good kind of sensation you got after exerting yourself too much. Then all of her would ache too, but not as it was doing now. Searing, excruciating, blinding.

It hurt to breathe. Every breath was a slow stab with a serrated knife in her lungs. She thought she might be bleeding, it also seemed plausible she had broken a few bones. It should scare her, but her mind was too clouded by pain to care. All she wanted was for it to stop hurting.

How had she ended up here?

_Tenten._

Dimly she wondered if her eyes were open. She didn't think so, but she wasn't sure... Everything was so confusing. She felt something trickle down her face, a steady gentle stream that left a burning trail in its path.

Was she crying? Why did she cry? Was she sad?

_Tenten._

She tried to recall what had happened, but it hurt even to think. Her thoughts kept getting jumbled and returned to the pain. She knew somewhere in the back of her mind she needed help. If she didn't get help soon something terrible would happen. Something that would stop the pain forever. But why would that be a bad thing?

_Tenten._

A whisper from far away kept repeating a word. Tenten? Wasn't that her name? She was almost certain that was her name. Why would someone say her name? Why wouldn't they just leave her alone? Let her succumb to the darkness. To sleep forever, that was all she wished for. It was too painful to cling to consciousness like she did...

_Tenten!_

A small sound escaped from the back of her throat. She recognized the voice now, the man it belonged to mattered to her. She knew she wanted to see him once before giving up. She didn't know why, but he was important.

_Tenten!_

Her eyes shot open, causing the pain to almost take her under. At first she couldn't see anything except a bright light. And then, there he was, blurry at the edges rushing towards her, but it was him. Neji. She knew that was his name. His name was Neji, and he mattered.

"Tenten, please!"

Please? Did he want to train? Was she supposed to stand? She wanted to, for him. She'd do almost anything, for him. But all she could do now was watch. Not that she didn't normally observe him, she did, she had memorized his face and all its nuances ages ago. Which is how she realized there was something... Odd. Something that was out of place with his face. Panic grew in her chest increasing the pain in her lungs tenfold. Was he hurt?

"Tenten!"

His hair was a tousled mess, and not the usual silky dark brown mane. She wanted to reach out her hand and draw her fingers through it. But she always wanted that...

Next his forehead, there was a deep cut and an ugly bruise, but that wasn't it either...

"Tenten?"

He could obviously talk, but he bled from his lower lip staining his chin red. She still wanted to kiss him tough. Too bad she never got the chance...

His nose looked broken, but she thought it was a clean cut that would heal well. Minor injuries they had had before. Somehow she had a feeling they both had been hurt before. That was not the cause for her concern either.

"Please..."

Then she saw his eyes. They were pale without pupils, as always, but the expression in them. Fear. Pure, unadulterated fear. Neji was never afraid, she had never seen him anything but calm and collected. If Neji was frightened, then it must be bad. Really, really bad. What was he so afraid of?

She blinked, tired to her bones. She did want to sleep, but she was pretty certain she did not want to sleep forever anymore, only for a month or two maybe...

"I'm going to take you home," his voice were husky and strained, but she didn't mind. Gentle arms picked her up, mindful of her numerous injuries. For some reason it hurt less being cradle to his chest than laying on the ground.

"Trust me, I'm going to get us home."

Maybe it was because she did trust him. It still hurt, she still wanted the pain to end, but with him, she didn't feel like giving up was the answer. She wanted to come home.

.

The citizens of Konoha would never forget the sight of Neji Hyuga carrying a broken and bloodied Tenten through the streets of the village. Those who did not already fear him, did now. He looked like a savage, his eyes ablaze, blood all over. Those who did not get out of his way were knocked over, but it was uncertain if he even noticed anything of his surroundings.

The rumors of what had happened were the gossip for weeks afterward, but the only one who could have told the true story, sat by a white hospital bed, waiting, torn between hope and despair.

He sat there for five weeks.

.

All she could feel was pain. A dull aching pain. Her throat felt sore and her breath was not fully even. She was so tired, but didn't want to sleep anymore, she had a faint feeling of being asleep for a very long time. Something was pressing down on her arm, not uncomfortably so, quite the opposite actually. She cracked open one eye and saw a dark silhouette sleeping soundly in a chair by her side, his head on the bed and her arm. Smiling slightly she too drifted off again, knowing she was safe.

.

The next time she came to, she heard a familiar voice, whispering to her.

"Tenten," A heavy sigh. "Tenten, you know I never beg, but-" she heard him swallow painfully and take her slack hand."- _please,_ come back to me."

Was she dreaming? She shut her eyes even harder, if she was, she didn't want it to end just yet.

"Tenten?" A sliver of hope laced his voice and his grip on her hand grew firmer.

Her eyelids fluttered open slowly. There he was. Not a dream, but real.

She tried to say his name, but all she managed was a small croak. That was apparently enough, as Nejis stiff shoulders sagged with relief. They didn't say anything else, they just watched the other; that was more than enough for now.

.

When she was released from the hospital, with both Tsunade and Sakuras reassurances she would make a full recovery, Neji offered, or more like demanded, he'd take her home. They walked down the buzzing streets side by side, enjoying the wonderful spring morning.

"I never thanked you, did I?" Tenten said. "Without you I would probably-"

"Don't," Neji interrupted forcefully. "don't say it."

"But it's true," she said simply. "I owe you my life."

"No, you don't," he said in his characteristic emotionless tone. "We're ninja. We face death everyday, it's pointless keeping count on who saved whom. Sooner or later it'll even out."

"Nevertheless," Tenten insisted. "Thank you."

Neji struggled with his next sentence. "If I had not been so arrogant to think we, well, _I _would manage to defeat all our targets single-handedly, instead of going for back up..." He trailed off, at loss for words.

"You said it yourself, Neji, we are ninja, we laugh at death, thinking we are invincible," They had come to a stop by a large gate. "I was with you in your decision not to turn back, but fight! Because that's what we do, we fight our way through life, and, apparently through death too, if I'm anything to go on." She smiled ruefully, remembering Tsunades rant on how she should have died from her injuries, but by some miracle did not.

Neji did not answer her, which was fine. She didn't expect him to. She started walking again, but was stopped by Nejis hand on her arm.

"What-?"

"I'm taking you home, and you're going in the wrong direction."

"No, I'm not. What are you talking about?" Tenten was thoroughly confused, as he led her through the big iron gates they had stopped by. The gates to the Hyuga Compound. "This is _your _home, not mine!"

"It's your home too." Neji actually looked slightly uncomfortable. "If you want."

Tenten tried to comprehend what he was really saying. Was he...?

"Are you asking me to move in with you?" she gaped, thoughts flying through her mind at the speed of light.

"..." He was starting to regret his way of asking. "Yes."

"But..." Still not a single intelligent thought popped into her head. "You haven't even kissed me yet!" Not the brightest thing to say right now, but it was after all true.

Neji looked at her with a blank expression for one second, before he made up his mind. Half a step forward and he had caught her in his arms, pressing his mouth gently to hers.

Tentens brain experienced instant shut down. Her fingers gripped his shirt with ironfists. Her legs were suddenly too weak to keep her upright, her heart beating uncontrollably in her chest; she had never felt better. She soared, why hadn't they done this before?

They broke apart, still clinging to each other, with labored breathes.

"Is that a yes?" His voice was deep and husky, making pleasant goosebumps rise on her arms and down her spine.

"Yes."

**Det var allt för den här gången.**


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